What's the difference between SOE coffee and pour-over single-origin beans? Are the characteristics and flavor profile of SOE coffee roast levels suitable for pour-over?

In contrast to traditional Italian blend coffee, SOE (Single Origin Espresso) is espresso made from coffee beans of a single origin. This innovative concept, characterized by its fresh and acidic flavor profile, has become a signature product in many coffee shops in recent years. Some friends also purchase coffee beans to make SOE at home. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss what coffee beans can be used to make SOE coffee.

Differences Between SOE Coffee and Pour-Over Coffee

SOE coffee and pour-over coffee use different extraction methods. SOE is extracted using high temperature and high pressure in an espresso machine, which is a pressurized extraction method. Pour-over coffee, on the other hand, involves hot water permeating through coffee grounds to release their compounds, which is a drip extraction method.

When making a shot of espresso, we force hot water through a compacted puck of coffee grounds under pressure. Since espresso extraction occurs in an extremely short time, we use finer coffee grounds and hot water to quickly extract the compounds from the coffee.

When making pour-over drip coffee under normal temperature and pressure conditions, we need to use more water to allow the coffee grounds to absorb sufficient moisture, releasing the soluble aromatic compounds from the coffee within a certain timeframe.

Extraction Characteristics of SOE

When we use blended coffee beans to make espresso, different coffee origins are mixed together. With deeper roasting levels, the flavor profile tends to become balanced and rounded, which also facilitates more stable extraction. Returning to SOE, which aims to showcase origin characteristics, the roast level is typically not too deep. Therefore, when extracting SOE from lighter-roasted coffee beans, it's more difficult to extract the flavors. This requires adjusting extraction parameters to increase extraction yield, such as extending extraction time, increasing water temperature, adjusting to finer grind size, or increasing dose.

All single-origin coffee roasting must consider presenting the unique regional flavors of the origin and the inherent aroma of the coffee beans themselves. For example, Yirgacheffe should have fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity, while Blue Mountain coffee should have sweet black chocolate and caramel aromas. Similarly, SOE should also express the characteristic flavor profile of its origin; otherwise, using single-origin coffee to make espresso becomes meaningless. If roasted too dark, the flavor and aroma can be masked by the heavy compounds created during roasting. If roasted too light, it can easily lead to under-extraction, resulting in sharp acidity and thin flavor.

Espresso amplifies the flavors of coffee. For instance, the bright, moderate acidity in pour-over coffee can become sharp in espresso, while the rich body in pour-over coffee can turn quite bitter in espresso. Therefore, due to different extraction methods, the roast level of coffee beans needs to be adjusted accordingly. Alternatively, we can choose single-origin coffee beans with a moderate roast level that not only expresses rich layers in pour-over coffee but can also be made into SOE to amplify the bean's aroma.

What Coffee Beans are Recommended for SOE?

The primary requirement for a good cup of coffee is high-quality beans, and the coffee beans selected for SOE should also be higher-quality single-origin beans. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," hoping that every customer gets to drink freshly roasted, aromatic coffee beans. All shipped coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days. Below, using FrontStreet Coffee's bean selection as an example, we'll introduce which coffee beans are suitable for making SOE.

1. Natural Process Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Coffee Beans

This coffee bean originally showed very high sweetness and intense fruit aromas when brewed as pour-over drip coffee. When extracted as espresso (requiring grind adjustment), it produces fine crema with a light yellow color. It has a sweet berry fragrance, with sweet and sour berries and caramel notes, and a clean mouthfeel. When combined with steamed milk, it presents honey-like sweetness.

2. Honduras Whiskey Barrel-Aged Sherry Coffee Beans

The medium roast level gives the coffee roasted aroma while preserving the berry acidity. The SOE made from these beans highlights vanilla biscuit and whiskey aromas. When added to milk, it presents chocolate cream smoothness with a captivating fragrance, with an overall very soft mouthfeel. FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Warm Sun blend is made from Sherry and Red Cherry beans in a 7:3 ratio, perfectly blending whiskey aroma, fruity sweetness and sourness, and the smoothness of chocolate milk in one cup.

3. Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart Coffee Beans

The anaerobic honey processing allows the coffee beans to retain the mucilage layer for closed fermentation before drying, maximizing the sweetness of the beans. This coffee shows rich rose floral aromas and high sweetness of raisins when prepared as pour-over. When extracted as SOE, it presents rich tropical fruit and fermented flavor notes.

4. Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans

If the previous beans aren't to your flavor preference, consider this Queen Estate coffee bean from Brazil, a major coffee-producing country. The medium-dark roast level presents rich nutty, creamy, and peanut aromas, with a sweet chocolate aftertaste. The extracted SOE has beautiful, rich crema and makes an aromatic milk-based coffee.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

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